For the third time this
season, rain prevented Indy
Racing League IndyCar Series
qualifying, and the field for
Saturday night's Suntrust Indy
Challenge was set according
to times recorded in a pair
of practice sessions Friday
at Richmond International Raceway.

IndyCar Series points leader
Helio Castroneves will start
from the pole, based on his
lap of 173.472 mph around
the tight but steeply banked
three-quarter-mile Richmond
oval, with Delphi Fernandez
Racing's Scott Sharp on the
outside of the front row,
his best starting position
of the season.

This weekend's race at Richmond
will also mark Honda's 100th
victory in North American-based
openwheel racing, with 35
wins in IRL IndyCar competition
since 2003 and 65 in Championship
Auto Racing Team (CART) events
from 1995-2002.

Although Honda is the sole
engine supplier for the IRL
in 2006, in previous seasons
the manufacturer has faced
strong competition for victories
in both the IRL and CART from
a variety of other major auto
manufacturers, including Chevrolet,
Toyota, Ford and Mercedes-Benz.

The seventh round of the
14-race 2006 IndyCar season
- and the second of three
Saturday night races - starts
at 8 p.m. EDT, with live television
coverage on ESPN2.

Robert Clarke (President, Honda Performance Development) on a combined 100 Honda victories in CART and the IRL:
"Thinking back to 1995, when we won our first race after two years of testing, development and racing -- and knowing the effort and hardship that went into achieving that milestone -- it seems incredible that we're about to mark our 100th win. In New Hampshire in 1995 at the time of that first win, 100 wins would have seemed like a pure fantasy to us. I'd like to congratulate all of our associates at HPD, who have worked hard, made personal sacrifices and have made the success of our racing programs their top priority. I'd also like to thank Honda R&D
for the continued assistance and
support throughout our CART and
IRL programs and our technical
partners at Ilmor for their contributions
to our IRL program."